The City of Lost Children (1995)

The best film that Terry Gilliam never directed is a delightful,
Dickensian fairy tale that, in spite of the "R" rating, may just be
okay for kids. (Responsible parents, all ten of you, should attend
a screening to be sure.) The harbor-town plot introduces the mad
scientist Krank (Daniel Emilfork), who is stealing children to
steal their dreams. (He cannot dream and, thus, is aging rapidly.)
His assistants are as odd as he: a midget woman, six narcoleptic
clones, and a disembodied brain floating inside an aquarium.
To the rescue comes an unlikely pair: a simple-minded circus
strongman (Ron Perlman) and a preteen street urchin (Judith
Vittet). (Other prominent characters include a trained flea, a
deep-sea diver, and an adult set of conjoined twins.) The plot
takes as many twists and turns as the various Rube Goldberg
sequences shown throughout, which may present a problem for the
less-imaginative viewer. However, kids who can't read the
subtitles-- or parents who can't follow all the characters-- can
still enjoy the astonishing visuals and seamless special effects.
From DELICATESSAN directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro.
(Rated "R"/113 min.)
Grade: B+
Copyright 1996 by Michael J. Legeros